Pocket-holder for hand-bags and similar receptacles.



' T. P. MuMAHON. POCKET HOLDER FOR HAND BAGS AND SIMILAR REGEPTAGLES.

APPLICATION FILED FE-3.3, 1908.

1 Patented Jan. 26, 1909.

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1H: NORRIS PETERS co., wllsnmorcw, n. c.

UNITE STATES PATENT @FIQE.

THOMAS F. MCMAHON, OF HYDE PARK, MASSACHUSETTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 26, 1909.

Application filed February 3, 1908. Serial No. 413,977.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TrioMAs F. MoMAHoN, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing at Hyde Park, in the county of Norfolk andCommonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements inPocketI-Iolders for Hand-Bags and Similar Receptacles, of which thefollowing is a speciiication.

The invention relates to means for holding the flaps of pockets ofhandbags or other similar receptacles in close relation to the bodiesthereof, and the invention is particularly useful in such receptacles asare used when traveling, and consists of resilient means such as aspring of steel or other material, one end of which is secured to therigid bottom of the body of the receptacle and the other end to the flapof the pocket, in such position that the spring constantly tends to holdthe flap in close relation to the body of the receptacle; and in orderthat a single spring may act with substantially equal force upon thewhole length of the flap, a stay or stiffening strip may be securedalong the upper edge of the movable flap and the upper end of the springfastened to such strip. When the spring pocket-holder is used upon theflaps of pockets in receptacles which have stiff bottoms and sides, aconvenient form of spring is a flat steel strip bent at substantially aright angle, with one arm of the spring secured to the rigid bottom ofthe receptacle and the other arm extended up to or near the upper edgeof the flap and secured thereto or to a stiffening strip a ong its uppered e.

'Ihis improvement will be found to overcome the serious objection topockets in such receptacles as heretofore constructed, which areconstantly liable to be torn, when articles are inserted into thereceptacle, particularly when it is already partially filled. 'Ihespring-holder constantly presses the flap toward the body portion of thereceptacle and keeps it in close relation thereto, so that when articlesare pushed down into the receptacle the flap will not be caught and torndown. When applied to suitcases or trunks either a straight or anangular spring may be used, depending somewhat upon the location andsize thereof.

The invention is shown herein as applied to a hand-bag; but from thisillustration its application to a trunk will be readily understood.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hand-bag showingthe improved pocket holding devices in dotted lines; Fig. 2 is a centralvertical longitudinal section of the bag; Fig. 3 is a verticalcrosssection.

The several parts are indicated by refer ence letters as follows: B, thebag; P, the pocket S, the spring pocket-holders; S, the arm of thespring which is fastened to the rigid bottom of the body of thereceptacle; T, the stiffening or stay-strip at the upper edge of theflap.

In Figs. 1 and 3, two upright arms S of the spring-holder are shown, tohold the flap of a pocket upon each side. "vr hen there is but onepocket, but one arm S will be needed, and a similar spring holder may beapplied to the flap of a pocket upon the short side or end of the bag.Pockets upon all sides of the receptacle will not be found an annoyance,for the reason that if no bulky article is put into them the flap willlie close to the body portion and form no obstruction to the insertionof articles to the main portion thereof.

By making the spring S, S, with arms substantially at right angles toeach other, and securing one of the arms to the rein forced bottom ofthe receptacle, that arm is held rigidly in place, and the stress of thespring of the other arm and all the strain due to its operation issustained by the arm anchored to the rigid bottom, and produces a verydurable and effective construction which could not be secured if thepart of the spring which is intended to withstand such stress and strainwere attached to a soft and yielding part of the receptacle, for thereason that the repeated pulls upon the flap of the pocket to open itagainst the action of the spring would soon tear such spring from itsfastenings, or tear away the material to which it was secured.

I claim:

1. In a traveling bag or similar receptacle, a pocket with a movableflap upon one or more of the sides of the receptacle, an angular springS, S, one arm of which is fastened to the rigid bottom of the receptacleand the other arm of the spring is fastened to the movable flap andtends to hold it in close relation to the side of the receptacle.

2. In a traveling bag or similar receptacle, strip T fastened to saidflap near its upper a pocket With a movable flap upon one or edge, andupon which the spring S acts.

more of the upright sides of the receptacle, f

an angular spring S, S, one arm of Which is THOMAS MOMAHON' 5 secured tothe rigid bottom of the receptacle WVitnesses and the other arm of thespring is secured to FLORENCE A. COLLINS,

the movable flap and a stay or stiffening JOSEPHINE H. RYAN.

